Freedom of Speech essay
Freedom of speech and expression are fundamental human rights that are protected under the U.S. constitution. Commonly, defenses of these rights are grounded in appeals to autonomy (in order to act autonomously we must have the freedom to express ourselves). Thus, restrictions on our freedom of expression correlate to restrictions on our autonomy. However, several authors in the readings recognize that sexual harassment can have a detrimental effect on autonomy. On the surface there seems to be a tension between appeals to autonomy in defense of freedom of speech and expression and appeals to autonomy in order to justify restrictions on freedom of speech and expression which may result in sexual harassment. Do you believe that there is a conflict between these two positions? How may such a conflict be balanced? In addition, according to Norman Bowie in “Relativism and the Moral Obligations of Multinational Corporations,” basic ethical principles do not vary among cultures. Defend or criticize this conclusion.
